Understanding And Addressing Burnout In The Workplace

Written by Rachael Steimnitz, NAMI-NYC’s Director of Workplace Mental Health, and Alayna Auerbach, NAMI-NYC’s Manager of Workplace Mental Health

We’ve all been in a meeting with a colleague who is burned out—someone who dismisses ideas, often sits at the back of the room with arms crossed and exhibits frustration while the rest of the team tries to move forward. Perhaps we’ve even been that colleague, feeling so overwhelmed that even simple tasks feel insurmountable. While this behavior may initially seem like a minor annoyance, burnout is a serious issue that can escalate if left unaddressed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019, characterizing it by feelings of exhaustion, negativity, and cynicism towards work, which ultimately impacts workplace productivity. Even before the pandemic, WHO’s declaration was a clear signal that something about our work culture was making us unwell—a signal that demands urgent attention. Burnout not only increases the likelihood of physical illness, depression, and anxiety for individuals but also negatively impacts organizations through absenteeism, low employee engagement, and diminished team cohesion. Burnout can even spread among team members, creating a cycle of negativity that is hard to break.

A well-thought-out workplace wellness strategy should not only offer support for employees experiencing mental health challenges but also proactively work to prevent these issues from arising or worsening. Addressing burnout in the workplace helps reduce stressors for those already living with mental health challenges, prevents others from developing mental health issues, and enhances overall well-being, productivity, and engagement for all employees.

What causes burnout?

In recent years, the term “burnout” has been applied broadly to various types of stress, such as caregiver burnout or burnout from excessive exercise. While these are important issues, this article specifically focuses on occupational burnout. You may be surprised by what truly causes burnout and what can be done to address it.

Based on the work of Dr. Christina Maslach, there are six key drivers of burnout related to workplace issues. We present each of the drivers, along with proposed solutions to address them in your workplace.

1. Lack of control: Occurs when employees experience constant uncertainty about their roles and responsibilities. Specific ways this manifest in the workplace can occur when employees are unclear about their job responsibilities (role ambiguity) or confused about reporting structures and prioritization (role confusion). It also relates to an inability to move work forward in a meaningful, timely way (lack of autonomy).

Solution:

• Use employee engagement surveys or one-on-one meetings to ask questions about job descriptions, managerial support and the ability to move forward and revise policies as needed. For instance, if an employee in a matrixed organization is having challenges with multiple team leaders telling him what to do without structure, clarify the role of the employee’s manager and empower them to support their team to have a manageable workload.

2. Insufficient reward: This isn’t just about financial compensation but also includes a lack of recognition and appreciation for one’s work.

Solution:

• Regularly review and update salary benchmarks to ensure competitive and equitable compensation.
• Provide public acknowledgment of jobs well done through honest and specific feedback.

3. Lack of community: Community includes all workplace interactions—whether with colleagues, supervisors, or clients. A lack of community can manifest as loneliness leading to feelings of isolation.

Solution:

• Create and support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
• Foster a workplace culture that prioritizes relationships and psychological safety.
• Partner with nonprofit organizations for volunteering opportunities to build a sense of community.

4. Lack of fairness: The perception of injustice or unequal treatment in organizational practices, such as recognition, rewards, workload distribution, or advancement opportunities, can lead to frustration and disengagement. For example, if all employees are required to start work at the same time, but one individual is consistently late without facing any consequences, it creates a sense of unfairness among the team.

Solution:

• Clearly define and communicate promotion and career advancement criteria.
• Establish transparent policies that apply to everyone and hold managers accountable for their actions.
• Support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives.
• Address conduct issues promptly to show employees that you take them seriously.

5. Conflict of values: Occurs when employees’ personal values and ethical standards clash with those of their employer. For example, an organization may publicly state a strong commitment to employee wellbeing but has a culture that prevents people from being able to take time off.

Solution:

• Ensure alignment between the organization’s values and the actual policies and practices.
• Promote open dialogue about ethical concerns and encourage employees to voice their perspectives.

6. Work overload: Having more work than one could realistically be expected to complete.

Solution:

• Be realistic about deadlines and workload expectations.
• Staff appropriately or consider alternative scheduling to increase coverage.
• Remove low-value tasks or busywork.
• Avoid including employees in meetings that are not relevant to their roles.

I’m burned out. Where do I start?

When discussing burnout, one of the most common responses is, “I’m burned out. Where do I start? I can’t even begin to deal with what you’ve mentioned.” While burnout is indeed an organizational issue that requires systemic change, employees are not helpless. By identifying which of the six drivers are most contributing to your burnout, you can start taking steps to mitigate these stressors. Whether it’s seeking clarity on job responsibilities, addressing persistent frustrations, or advocating for better working conditions, start by focusing on what you can control.

With the recent emphasis on mental health and the call to action for employers worldwide, it’s imperative to shift our focus from a reactive, crisis-driven model to one of prevention. Addressing burnout in the workplace not only supports employees in maintaining good mental health but also makes work a better, more fulfilling place for everyone.

Originally published on www.forbes.com